UK/Ireland Trip - Day 5 (Glasgow to Dublin)

Happy Birthday to me!

Headed down the Scottish coast to Cairnryan to take a ferry across the Irish Sea to Larne, Ireland.  The weather was a bit drizzly, but that was okay as we were on the bus and ferry for the trip.

Aisla Craig

Views of the road along the Irish Sea in Scotland

Irish Sea from Scotland

Ferry that will take us across the Irish Sea to Ireland

Loading onto the ferry

The coast of Ireland is in the background

Ireland!

Our first stop in Ireland was Belfast.  Here we saw the sights of all the wall art that represents some of the troubling times that Northern Ireland has gone through.  We saw where the Titantic was built as well as the new visitor center Belfast is building to honor the ship.  We also stopped for a bit in front of the Europa Hotel, the most "eventful" hotel in Europe.  It has the reputation of being the most bombed hotel in all of Europe.  Belfast was definitely different.  I got the vibe of unrest while we were there.  You could tell that it had a tumultuous past.

Belfast City Hall

Belfast

Albert Memorial Clock

Samson and Goliath - Shipbuilding gantry cranes in Belfast

New Titantic Memorial

Union Jacks flying on a Belfast Street

Political wall murals in Belfast

The Queen's University

Europa Hotel

We got to Dublin in time to freshen up and then head out to The Brazen Head (the oldest pub in Dublin) for my Guinness themed birthday.  I had the Guinness Beef Stew and of course...a Guinness!  Yes, the Guinness tastes much better in the UK and Ireland.  The room we were seated in was decorated with US dollars that people had signed.  Unfortunately we didn't have any US currency, so we didn't leave our mark.

The Brazen Head in Dublin...established in 1198!

US dollars cover the walls in this room of The Brazen Head

Flower baskets outside The Brazen Head

Colorful building on the streets of Dublin

O'Connell Street in Dublin

Streets of Dublin

River Liffey

The Pepper Canister Church